Denver SDS holds vigil for Heather Heyer

Denver Students for a Democratic Society stand together to honor the life of the anti-fascist martyr, Heather Heyer.
(Fight Back! News/Staff)

Lakewood, CO - On Oct. 11, at Red Rocks Community College here, students and faculty members gathered to hold a vigil for Heather Heyer, the 32-year-old woman who was killed by white supremacists in August. Speakers included Denver SDS members Jarrid Carroll-Frey, Amber Hott, as well as a musical tribute from Ralph Mallet.

The speakers met at 4 p.m. in a reserved room to hold the vigil. The whiteboard had the words “In Honor of Heather Heyer” written upon it. The somber atmosphere of the meeting was acutely felt by all those in attendance.

The first speaker was Carroll-Frey, whose speech highlighted the importance of combating white supremacy so that tragedies such as this never happen again. With an “Unapologetically anti-racist” pin on his t-shirt, he stated “This act of senseless violence should be a call to action for all people dedicated to anti-fascism. As Heyer herself said, ‘If you aren’t angry, you aren’t paying attention.’”

The next speaker was the Civil Rights Club’s Vice President Amber Hott. Her speech focused on the issue of unity between anti-racists in this time of growing fascism. She stated, “In order to enact any real social change, we need allies. I am making a call right now to everyone in this room to take a pledge of allyship for any minority group you are not a part of.”

Next, Denver SDS and IWW member Ralph Mallet performed a musical tribute to Heyer. As he played and sung Danny Boy, the reality of the situation started to dawn on those in attendance. A person was murdered in cold blood by white supremacists. This is not the time for inaction or apathy, this is the time to fight.